Rick Perry Killed An Innocent Man

Mar. 11, 2014 10:15 am

By Thom Hartmann A...

It’s becoming clearer by the day that Rick Perry killed an innocent man. Ten years ago, Texas executed Cameron Todd Willingham, who was convicted in 1992 on arson charges, for setting a 1991 fire in Corsicana, Texas that killed his three children. But now, newly uncovered evidence suggests that Willingham, who maintained his innocence until his death, was in fact an innocent man.

Willingham’s original conviction relied on two major pieces of evidence: an analysis of the fire by arson investigators, and the testimony of a jailhouse informant. In the years since Willingham was executed, the arson investigation that was a key pillar of his case has been discredited. Questions have been raised over the analysis done by the arson investigators, and the science that was used in the case. It looks now like it was just a tragic house fire.

And as for the jailhouse informant that allegedly heard Willingham confess to the crime, new evidence suggests that informant was offered a deal by the prosecution in return for his testimony. The judge had earlier denied cutting a deal, but now the deal's been found, in the judges own handwriting.

So, it’s looking increasingly more likely that Rick Perry executed an innocent man. And just an innocent man - a father who discovered his house on fire and was unable to save his three daughters, grieving and distraught, and then thrown in jail and accused of intentionally burning his own house down to kill his kids. Which he probably didn't do. He was just a grieving father. Who's now been killed by Rick Perry.

That's pretty grisly, but, even worse, there's more and more proof that the death penalty doesn’t even work to keep people from killing other people. Proponents of the death penalty argue that, while it may not be perfect, it still acts as a strong murder deterrent. They’re wrong.

In fact, it’s the other way around. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, between 1990 and 2010, the murder rate in states that don’t have the death penalty was consistently lower than the murder rate in states that have the death penalty. And, according to a 2009 survey of the world’s leading criminologists, 88% felt that the death penalty does not lower homicide rates. Meanwhile, according to Amnesty International, more than 130 Death Row inmates have been released because of wrongful convictions since 1973.

Seth Penalver is one of those 130. Penalver was arrested in 1994 for murdering three people. There was no physical evidence linking him to the murders, and only other evidence police had was a poor-quality video that they claimed showed Penalver. Penalver was ultimately released in 2012, after he was acquitted of all charges; it turns out the police were wrong and he was innocent. But the state of Florida nearly killed him, and would have if newly discovered evidence hadn’t led to a new trial.

But we shouldn’t need facts, statistics, and wrongful conviction stories to prove that the death penalty is wrong. As a society, when we kill people, we become killers ourselves. We coarsen our society. We become accustomed to murder, albeit murder-by-state.

Rick Perry is on the record saying that Cameron Todd Willingham was a “monster,” but it's increasingly looking like Perry is the real monster here. Not only has he put a likely-innocent man to death, he’s continuing the use of an immoral and inhumane process, that doesn’t even meet its own goals.

America has always sought to be that “shining city upon a hill,” but we can’t possibly hope to be seen that way by the world or even by ourselves if we continue perpetrating state-run murders. The eyes of the world are on us. It’s time to lead by example, and thus to get rid of the death penalty once and for all.

Comments

The US is so far off course from trying to set a good example to the rest of the world...a token example just would not matter much. Yes, it would definitely be very, very nice to see the corrupt United States of America finally start to set good examples. Rick Perry should be tarred and feathered and run out of Texas on a rail. He's scum!

But, on a brighter note...how about that Diane Feinstein (e i e i oh)? Old Mr. Brennan had a farm...eieio. And on that farm he had some spies...eieio. A whach whack here, a whack whack there, here a whack, there a whack..everywhere a whack whack! Yeah, anyway....

She is calling out the CIA for spying on Congress members! (hurray for Diane Feinstein...for a change). She might not mind the CIA or NSA spying on Americans but when they spy on her and other Congress members she gets a little upset? Well, at least that's something...we can only hope that, like in the 70s, these too-big-for-their-britches SOBs will have their nails clipped...declawed, in fact.

And, of course, Brennan is denying the whole thing claiming that he will get to the bottom of it and report to Congress anything he finds. Yeah, right! What he will most likely do is find some lowly patsy, who the upper echelon of the CIA ordered to spy on Congress, then have him or her (or them) take all the blame. Then they'll do it all over again...until they get caught again...when they will find other patsies to take the blame.

And in the mean time...all the attention is now being put on that airliner that disappeared over the Straits of Malacca. Have you noticed the major news media with Wolf Blitzer showing that graphic insert showing someone's concept of the path of that airliner doing a 180 degree turn and headed back where it disappeared? They played it over and over and over again as if they were trying to hypnotize that image into people. And similar to 911 they had images of a couple of guys who is alleged to have stolen passports. Is this another wag-the-dog distraction by the powers-that-be that can cause planes to crash into tall buildings or disappear...all the while trying to implicate terrorists? The CIA needs a wag-the-dog right now don't they?

It is sad to see the same small group of haters, spewing their venom neurotically over and over again. Am I the only person who is saddened by their words of contempt for anyone and everyone who disagrees with their hatred? Very sad...Everything that happens is a plot to gain more power by the government. Now that is scary logic and even scarier is that they believe what they say.. And if you do not agree, you are just one more duped individual falling for the lies. For me life is good, pleasant and secure. I feel sorry for those who have not acquired that life style because of their fear...Well, it's time to go see my grandson and enjoy even more of the gifts in my life. I truly hope the haters and conspiracy theorists find peace and happiness someday, before their time allotment is over. I guess I am just one of those lucky guys who dosen't have to hate and believe there is a conspiracy going on to destroy our freedom, to feel alive and important. Have a great day; I know I will...K.W. P.S. Feel free to vent your anger and hatred concerning my comments, if it helps you, go for it...

Maybe they'll get some mickey mouse (MIC) company like Stratfor to take the blame...or a few patsies in Stratfor to take the blame? Plausible deniability...get someone else to fall on their swords while the real criminals get away with it all to live another day.

I agree that the death penalty in most cases does not prevent those who would kill others from committing horrific crimes. What should we do with criminals who kill other people? Do we just lock them up without the possibility of parole and hope that will deter others from committing capital crimes? Perhaps that is a viable alternative for those convicted of killing people, especially children. Should we allow more appeals before enforcing the death penalty, when there are eye witnesses who testify they saw the individual commit murder and there is irrefutable evidence against them, not just forensic evidence? The death penalty is a form of vengeance against those convicted of murdering others. Should we eliminate all retribution by death against criminals who commit these types of crimes in hopes they will be rehabilitated and not kill others in prison while incarcerated? I know if I saw someone kill a family member, my first impulse would be for swift and absolute retribution in the same manner that was dealt to the victim. But does the judicial system have the right to kill people, when mistakes could have been made in their conviction? I am not sure what the correct punishment should be for those who are convicted of murder and given the death penalty, because obviously no system is perfect and mistakes have been made by overzealous prosecutors and witnesses who are out to even a score against the accused. There are several groups who have been successful in having people released from prison who were serving life sentences for capital crimes and had they been given the death penalty, it would have been too late to correct the mistake made by the judicial system. And yet, there are those who have committed capital crimes against humanity that are so agregious, like killing children or death by torture, that the death penalty seems justified. Most of those convicted for committing capital crimes usually remain on death row for over ten years before being executed. And is that enough time to allow the system to justly review a person’s innocence or guilt? I would have to agree with Hartmann on this one, and give life sentences without the possibility of parole and they should be completely separated from all others in the prison system so they could not have the opportunity to kill again. KW

Quote ken ware:.. Now that is scary logic and even scarier is that they believe what they say..

What is even scarier is that a lot of flag waving toadies will believe what the harbingers of death and destruction embedded in our very government and military say.

I feel kinda sorry (not) for those suckers who just can't break out of their propagandized and proselytized memes. They will always be prisoners of the ruling elite because they are too afraid to question authority. When people get proselytized into the nationalist religion, preached by the ruling elite, they will all, eventually, figuratively, swallow the rat poison laced cool aid. The Jim Jones Guyana massacre was a mind-control experiment that will be echoed big time in the US one day. Actually, there were many mind-control experiments and lots of victims fell for their rubbish.

But it is really just a metaphor for how malleable and gullible many Americans (USians) are for believing the lies of authority. It may not be rat poison in cool aid but more rather like a slow die off of what the few in power consider riff-raff. They know that they could one day be an impediment to their lofty perches above all mankind should the people all rebel.

The biggest thing standing in the way between bringing them all down and our possible massive die off are people who either too dumb to see the danger or they are collaborators who are either being paid or who falsely believe that they too will make it to Valhalla with the rest of the "gods". At least, they think they are gods and that we are scum!

The cowardly toadies who defend their oppressors and who are used as tools and a buffer between the evil terrorists at the top and the masses of their unfortunate victims will rot in their graves as shamed fools or collaborators.

And so, how should we deal with those who committed lots of deaths of innocent people...women and children even? The war crimes that our country has committed against other countries need to be tried in a world war-crimes court and the murderers convicted and thrown into prison for life. And this should reach the top levels of our ruling elite structure..the top brass, elected officials, and corporate maggots who profited from mega-deaths.

Hartmann again is overly dramatic because the person he is focusing on is a Republican he has distaste for. I live in California with a Democrat as Governor, Brown (who I voted for). I doubt Hartmann would go after Brown and state on his headliner for his blog - Brown kills an innocent man convicted of murder. And, no I am not a conservative Republican or a liberal Democrat. It is that so many think Hartmann can walk on water, when he is just another liberal out to nail any conservative, and uses the most dramatic wording to address the issue. How about if he just starts by asking the question is the death penalty a just method of dealing with this issue? I guess that would not fire up the crowd in the same manner, after all he has to throw some "red meat" for his followers to jump on.

Quote ken ware: I know if I saw someone kill a family member, my first impulse would be for swift and absolute retribution in the same manner that was dealt to the victim.

And so you shouldn't blame some Middle Easterners who saw their families murdered by US soldiers for wanting to fight back in any way they had the ability? Strike back against the evil US for murdering their families? When they are fighting against a wealthy and powerful country that has all kinds of high tech weaponry they have to resort to crude methods like strapping on a backpack full of explosives don't they? And then they die themselves...so much unlike the cowards in the US.

But the brainless, cowardly, fools in the US, while they may see some American father whose family was just murdered by someone as justified in killing the murderers (whether it be by official execution or by on his own initiative) they somehow conveniently forget about the murders of women and children that their own "brave heroes" in uniform committed against some other father's family in another country.

Again you have to play the role of the ass and try to bait someone into arguing with you. Forget it; it is not going to happen. Those who have committed war crimes are criminals and should be prosecuted, as has been the case in Iraq and Afghanistan. Not all that serve this country in uniform are criminals, and I realize how much you hate our military and you are not going to get me to argue in their defense, just so you can go on some rant against them. Grow up. KW

Palin - as usual you take something out of context and want to insult those in uniform who you despise. You will do anything to belittle the military and now you lower yourself to taking a statement out of context and use it against our military and me. I promised I would not get personal, but you are one old angry man, whom hates everything connected to our country. You are a sad example. I have made my comments concerning Hartmann's blog and I will not get into it with you so you can justify crucifying the U.S. Military, who you most likely were never apart of and speak with no experience in that field at all. Good bye and have a nice evening. KW.

Why is it that we have to be "fair and balanced" against people who aren't and never were and never will be? That's Obama...can't we all just, just, get along? Oh, yeah, that was Rodney King, my mistake. While the major news media, led by the likes of Fox News, make wild exaggerated claims and right wing propaganda...we have to be "fair and balanced". Yeah, right! We have to attack them in any way we can. We are not going to strap on backpacks, unless those backpacks contained lots of incriminating evidence against right wingers...like hacked Stratfor documents or wikileaks documents. But we are not as strong as the people who have all the money and own all the news media propaganda machines. We have to quit being so introspective, fair, and meekish. We need to attack those who attack us and it doesn't much matter how fair or accurate it is. It sure seems to work for the rabid right. It's time we grew a pair and fought back. I think there must be an awful lot of meeks who think that if they play fair they will get into liberal heaven triumphing over the evil conservatives. But, in reality, the meeks may "inherit the earth" but it will be after the greedy bastard one percenters leave it a burned out cinder after they move to some other corner of the Universe.

Your best tack is to ignore foolish comments. A lot of people use the term "conspiracy theory" in its now common pejorative sense. Those same people need to apply that approach to the government's conspiracy theory. Weighing the facts has in many cases brought people around to questioning the official theory.

These days it is more fashionable to kill a number of people then kill oneself, skipping the whole trial and death penalty routine.

Then there are suicide mass-murderers, those with untreated personality disorders, and the insane. They are not deterred by consequences.

On the other hand, many people have spent years in jail, not necessarily for murder, but being innocent of charges, to have the best years of their lives taken away by authorities.

I think cases of wrongful conviction or unusual sentences are due to inequality in the justice system. The lawyers poor and middle class people can afford are C- student scumbags who know when they have someone over a barrel. They don't really care how the case comes out, just that the bill is paid before the hearings.

I have always valued the intellectual capacity of many of the contributions of Ken Ware on this forum. In the past he has had a problem with containing his contributions to the intellectual and not the emotional. It is my firm belief that were he to control his temper his contributions would greatly enhance the content of this forum. Let us not discourage that endeavour if indeed his intent is to stick to the high road!

We are stronger united then we are at each others throats. Let us keep that in mind... To whom it may concern...

ken ware: I was in the US military for longer than the typical 4 year stint and I got an honorable discharge. But I can't say more than that because it's classified. ;-}

I was just lucky that I didn't get killed or maimed as so many at that time did...during the Vietnam war. Like so many of those sorry suckers, I too bought into the bullsh1t lies but then I was young and vulnerable and not very up on US history then (the real US history...not that propaganda we were all fed in school)... just as so many still aren't aware of our real history today. They don't know any better...their heads filled with nonsense about spreading freedom and democracy or fighting an enemy that is threatening our country. How many people were duped by lying politicians about mushroom clouds or WMDs or who did 9/11?

Now that we know about those many, many lies and manipulations and the millions of lives of innocent civilians they had some of us unwittingly (in many cases) murder (and luckily, I've never had to murder anyone). Note: those who got a kick out of murdering people then most likely still spout their allegiance to the Murder, Inc club they belonged to back then.

Sieg Heil! all you atavistic Nazi wannabe murdering morons out there und guten nacht. And remember arbeit macht frei and keep putting all those hard earned shekels into your fuhrer's casino gambling schemes for the long term. Have faith dear boys and girls. Your fuhrer wouldn't let you down, now would he?

But I have no compulsion for the divine! As you know, I am not a fan of supernatural ideas even though sometimes I use words like evil. Well, nobody's perfect! And how do you forgive baby-killers anyway. I'm certainly not calling anyone specifically that term..just generally..because many in the US military are baby-killers aren't they...maybe they can live with that...maybe some really get off on that...but our propagandist system treats them all as brave heroes. It's time we call them what they really are. Not that everyone who have gone to war are baby killers...some are very much disturbed at what they learned about the killer organization they got attached to. Many have not actually killed anyone...but those who have, if they are not deeply troubled by it and continue to support the killer organization they once served, then they are obviously psychotic and are dangerous to the rest of us.

The actions of a very few on the top as well as in the trenches give the wrong impression " brave heroes. It's time we call them what they really are. Not that everyone who have gone to war are baby killers.."to quote Palin. not ever soul has the burdon of firering the torpedo that hit the madox ship.complicated Times indeed ask Robert McNamara admits Gulf of Tonkin attack did not happen ... what conspiracy

Marc, I am as forgiving as anyone you'll ever meet. But when the offending behavior is constant rather than atypical, it gets much harder to forgive. All I am doing on this blog is calling it as I see it, like everyone else, and Mr. Ware's objections go well beyond legitimate debate. I don't appreciate being told I should forgive someone who keeps attacking me personally, making me a target, rather than simply challenging my point of view.

Far as Mr. Ware is concerned, I've more than a hunch he's got a problem with women like me who have strong personalities, who aren't meek and ladylike and don't conform to his archaic notion of "femininity". If he's the macho type of guy I suspect he is, he thinks it's a woman's duty to be submissive and charming and non-threatening, which would make the likes of me a thorn in his side for sure. If my hunch is correct, it'll just have to be his problem.

I'll confess, Marc, I'm thin-skinned myself when it comes to bullies. I've been targeted by bullies throughout much of my life; not recently, I'm happy to say! But it goes way back to my childhood, and I still carry lots of residual anger from it. As a kid I tended to be a loner, which made me an easy target for predators at school. My family life involved lots of psychological and emotional abuse, and my now-ex-husband was an angry, abusive alcoholic. If a person crosses me just once or twice, or very infrequently over the long term, there's not much I am unable to forgive; but if it's chronic, all bets are off. Too often the "divine" you speak of translates to being a doormat or whipping post, and I'm done with that. So please, spare us the kum-by-ya, forgive-and-forget, turn-the-other-cheek stuff. It doesn't cut it for me, Marc! Sorry. - Alice I.W.

FractionallyUnnerved: I guess one would have to go to that web site to understand the correlation between stick and arrow. Actually, my favorite T-shirt has a bunch of Indians with rifles with a caption that says: "Defending America From Terrorism Since 1492". Of course I realize that is not the same message from that link I posted. In a nutshell..."United we stand, divided we fall". That poem also reminds me of a Shakespeare play "King Lear" although there are different lessons to be learned from that as well. I rather like the old Persian tale that was adopted by the Arabs called The Tales of Kalila and Dimna..especially the one about the Lark and the Elephant...there's a really good lesson in that one. Hint: the arogant bully elephant (also a baby killer) gets done in by the lowly little creatures.

Here's a link with very colorful pictures along with the text...be sure your children get a copy...all the tales have recursive links to one another.

Quote Aliceinwonderland:..Too often the "divine" you speak of translates to being a doormat or whipping post...

And isn't that just what the Democrat party and many progressive liberals have become...or, "devine"? Do they really think that most other Americans are going to believe someone who is telling the truth over someone who lies all the time? Obviously, they prefer lies like the ones coming from Fox news. They will remain "doormats and whipping posts" for the Republican conservatives.....because the Democrats or liberals or progressives are trying too hard to be level headed and fair...."we just want to get along mentality"? We need to get even more mean and conniving than those ruling elite bullies are if we expect to not be bullied ourselves. Break out the damn guillotines for Raptor Jesus sake! (PBUH)..sorry Alice..that's Peace Be Upon Him. That's what many Muslims say every time they mention Mohammed..their prophet. Raptor Jesus will return.... and boy will he be pissed!

Actually, that metaphor of a bundle of sticks or arrows could be taken one of two ways...and I guess which way it is used in the metaphor can make a difference. The bundle of sticks could mean a representation of unity and solidarity of the people against tyranny..and that together we can overcome tyranny...not easily broken.

Or, it could mean the bundle of sticks represents the tyrannous wealthy few...impossible to break unless we break each stick separately. Which tyrannous politicians or corporate welfare queens shall we start on first? Anyone got any dirt on any Republican or Blue dog Democrats? Let's start breaking these sticks one by one. Surely, Clinton is not the only politician without sin! I wonder how faithful Rick Perry is...maybe he has some fetish that might break him. Come on Anonymous do your stuff!

Ken, the only the only thing crazier than thinking everything is a conspiracy is thinking everything is on the up and up, although I agree, it's more pleasant so it'll make you happier. I hear smoking opium is also a pleasant escapism.

But it really is funny, like Palindromedary said, here's a guy accusing everybody of paranoid conspiracy theorizing who started the thread saying Thom Hartmann is a Russian agent because he's on RT.

Very good observation, Mark Saulys! How about that? I think Ken may be the biggest conspiracy theorist here! It shows that his cold war mentality from brainwashing is still alive and well. Thom Hartman a Russian agent? That is so outlandish!

Illinois, thanks to the Innocence Project, the group of Northwestern University journalism professors and their students that, since the early '90s, seeks to prove the innocence of the wrongly incarcerated and wrongly condemned, had released 18 inmates from death row before Governor George Ryan ended the death penalty in Illinois. The number of people excecuted in Illinois since the Supreme Court reinstated the practice in 1976 was 16. Thus there were more people proven to be wrongly condemned in Illinois since the reinstatement of the death penalty than there were executed. Fun factoid.

Diane Feinstein's statement#68 in the Senate about the CIA hacking scandal. What is the CIA trying so desperately to hide...something to do about Osama bin Laden in 2011...and/or...about their detention and torture programs?

Here is a 12-1/2 minute video segment on YouTube of today's Breaking the Set show with Abby Martin on RT (Russia Today). She addresses the US propaganda and hypocrisy of claims by US news media that RT bullies it's reporters or presenters in spewing pro-russian propaganda. The Liz Wahl resignation has sparked a lot of rhetoric on this issue. Abby interviews a woman, Amber Lyon (an investigative reporter), formerly of CNN who had many experiences of US networks, including CNN, putting pressure on the reporters to present pro-US propaganda. She had, while an investigative reporter for CNN, produced a story about Bahrain murder and torture of dissidents but the story was shot down because of pressure by Bahrain who has been funding CNN...and they also fund other US networks as well.

One thing that Amber Lyon said, in relation to US news media: "It's almost as if they are trying to revive the cold war mentality!" And I certainly believe it! I think they miss the old cold war which allowed them to keep the people very afraid and very dumbed down...numbed down...so they are distracted while the capitalist pigs keep the masses in line.

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"Never one to shy away from the truth, Thom Hartmann’s collected works are inspiring, wise, and compelling. His work lights the way to a better America."

—Van Jones, cofounder of RebuildTheDream.com and author of The Green Collar Economy

From Screwed:

"Once again, Thom Hartmann hits the bull’s eye with a much needed exposé of the so-called ‘free market.’ Anyone concerned about the future of our nation needs to read Screwed now."

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"In an age rife with media-inspired confusion and political cowardice, we yearn for a decent, caring, deeply human soul whose grasp of the problems confronting us provides a light by which we can make our way through the quagmire of lies, distortions, pandering, and hollow self-puffery that strips the American Dream of its promise. How lucky we are, then, to have access to the wit, wisdom, and willingness of Thom Hartmann, who shares with us here that very light, grown out of his own life experience."

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